Reel type mowers are well known in the art and provide many distinct cutting advantages over conventional rotary type mowers. In particular, the mechanical cooperation between the spinning reel blade assembly and the fixed blade serves to promote a desirable cut. The spinning reel blade assembly generally includes a plurality of blade members fixedly mounted on a horizontal axis for rotation therewith.
In operation, the grass, or other vegetation, is drawn between one of the plurality of blade members and the fixed blade to produce a cutting action. The cut grass is then discharged to the ground surface for decomposition (i.e. mulching mode) or to a catch basket for disposal (i.e. bagging mode). Traditionally, reel type mowers are configurable to operate in both mulching mode or bagging mode.
Although many reel type mowers have proven themselves safe and reliable over many years of service, recently there has been a renewed interest to provide additional safety features to ensure their continued safe operation. In the context of the aforementioned reel type mower, when operating in the bagging mode, operators empty the bagging component numerous times during mowing. During this emptying procedure, the engine may continue to run and, additionally, in some cases the plurality of blade members may continue to turn. Although the operator's hands are not typically near the plurality of blade members, it is desired to have additional protection to prevent operator error and accident.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a safety guard to prevent operator error from leading to an accident or injury when using a reel type mower. Furthermore, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a safety guard for a reel type mower that may be easily configurable for use in a bagging mode and a mulching mode. Still further, there exists a need to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.